on writing your stories #5
seem to be on a roll so why not go on
what about my first publication I was
ten writing a long oz-like tale have I
told you this before the heroine had
a snazzy name orania turquoise she
and her buddy what did I call him
hopped from one cloudland to another
had adventures a good bird character
named talka was their virgil though my
countries were benign a friend of my
mom the editor of a galesburg weekly
liked my story published it by chapters
one week on the front page a boxed
notice: “Jackie Dougan! Authors should
not let their publishers get ahead of them!
Send in the next installment pronto!” I
was on a trip with my grandparents
that night I sat up at the little hotel desk
by the mississippi a puddle of light on my
paper wrote a chapter it was the last
my characters quickly returned to earth
I couldn’t stand the tension of a deadline
ever since I’ve refused deadlines except
of course this one for illinois times I
haven’t missed a week yet (sometimes do
stay up late) the galesburg post story I
found out ran more than four months
©2016 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Jun 23-29, 2016.
